The 100 Days of Summer

Last year, for the first time in more than a decade, no fatalities were reported among 16 and 17 year olds who were passengers in cars that crashed when driven by another teenager of the same age. And only one teen driver in this age group died last year as a result of crash injuries, according to a recent study by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

This is good news, as Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer driving season and, for teenage drivers, the deadliest days of the year. Traffic crashes, the No. 1 killer of teens, are expected to increase as teenagers celebrate the freedom that comes when school is out by hitting the road.

In Connecticut, 16 and 17 year olds are governed by a set of graduated licensing rules that, among other restrictions, prohibit them from carrying teenage passengers. However, law enforcement officers are limited when it comes to enforcement. They cannot stop drivers who look too young to be carrying passengers or to be out after 11 p.m. – the time teens should be off the road, with some exceptions, according to the rules. To do so would be profiling. This means parents play a major role in keeping teens safe.

Helping to reduce the teenage crash rate are the teens themselves, who in many cases are delaying getting their licenses. While the teenage population has remained relatively stable in the state, the number of 16 and 17 year olds getting their license has dropped by about 15 percent, according to the DMV report.

Changing attitudes, a difficult economy and, in a few cases, resentment toward the law’s restrictions, have been suggested as reasons for the decline in the number of 16- and 17-year-old drivers. But for those teens who do drive, the next three months are fraught with peril.

Here are some points for parents and teens to consider.

* Carrying teenage passengers significantly raises the risk of crashing. Other teens can easily distract a novice driver. Teenage passengers also have pressured a teenage driver to take risks. According to AAA, adding a teen passenger to a car driven by a 16 or 17 year old raises the risk of a fatality by 44 percent. Add two teen passengers and that risk doubles. With three or more, the risk quadruples. Add an adult passenger, 35 years of age or older, and the risk of a fatal crash drops by 62 percent.

* Distraction is a major problem for teens. Recent research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has shown that distraction played a major role in 58 percent of the teen crashes it studied. Previous estimates had pegged that number at 14 percent. Under the state’s GDL laws, teens are forbidden to use cell phones, even hands-free models, and portable electronic devices. Even adults, who can use hands-free models, should take note: Research is increasingly showing that it is not a hand on the phone that is the problem; it is the mind on the conversation. Parents can play a vital role by reminding teens that distractions of all types can be deadly and by not being distracted drivers themselves.

* Nighttime driving is another problem for teens. Their crash rate generally climbs after 9 p.m. In Connecticut, teens, with a few exceptions, are banned from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Problems with night driving include fatigue and reduced visibility. Nighttime is also the time teens are most likely to encounter other drivers who are impaired. Also, most “cruising” takes place after dark. This is driving with no particular destination in mind. Cruising is statistically more dangerous than trips undertaken for a purpose, such as driving to and from a summer job.

* Parents and teens should also be aware that the teenage brain is a work in progress. Areas of the brain governing judgment and self-control are still developing. There is a reason that insurance premiums begin to come down after the age of 25 and that major rental car companies often have age restrictions banning teens from renting cars, even those who can legally enter into a contract.

Forget the calendar. Summer has officially started. For teenagers and their parents, the challenge will be to keep it safe.